Chasing Snowstorms
by speed killz
Summary: Touta and Kuroumaru work as recovery specialists, scraping out a meager living defined by mediocrity and all definitions of "normal". Soon, their world will be turned upside down by the arrival of a demon so powerful, it forces the arrival of the greatest warriors of the past, Negi and his group, long thought to be dead. Twin fic to "Snowstorms in August".
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Welcome to the first chapter of 'Chasing Snowstorms', a twin fic of 'Snowstorms in August'. This fic will follow the UQ Holder! side of the story, I hope you enjoy.

 _Chasing Snowstorms_

 _Chapter 1: Deafening_

 _UQ Holder!_

It was hard to feel any sort of significant when you were staring at the sky. Day or night, the vastness of it never ceased to amaze the ebony haired boy. Night time is generally what fascinated most people, and to an extent, himself as well. However, what he truly loved was daytime.

Reaching over his head, he stretched lazily before returning them behind his head. Laying on his back on the grass, he scanned the bright blue sky. For what, he didn't know. Or care.

The depth of blue was endless, no matter how deep he peered into the sky, he could never see the end. And the sun was simply magnificent. A mind bogglingly large ball of fire burning high in the sky, yet it only took up a small fraction of his view of the world.

It was hard to feel significant. Like he would ever matter.

He was okay with that, he knew. More than okay with it. He couldn't be happier. Some days, just getting out of bed to go to work was almost more than he could handle. Not in terms of energy or will; he wasn't depressed or lacking motivation. No, he simply didn't like other people. People with their talking, and loud voices. Their ideas and opinions that you simply _had_ to hear. The tales of greatness of people long past, and stories of how they were going to do the same.

They weren't. He knew that. And it pained him to have to listen to it. Why did people talk so much? Why didn't they speak with their actions?

Closing his eyes, he listened to the sound of the breeze rustling through the trees that lined the edge of the park.

People loved to talk. He didn't. He didn't like talking, and he certainly did not like listening.

Although, he supposed, there was one person he liked. Or rather, didn't mind.

Kuroumaru. His longest lasting friend since childhood. Kuroumaru was like him, sometimes. Quiet, observant. Sometimes he would get excited about things, but he would never ramble and carry on like the others.

He didn't mind Kuroumaru. Kuroumaru had been with him since he could remember, through thick and thin, the ups, and far more frequent downs.

Suddenly, he heard soft footfalls through the grass behind him, the almost imperceptible 'swish, swish' of shoes swiping through grass.

 _'Speak of the devil...'_

A body plopped down beside him, sitting cross legged a few feet away. Heaving a heavy sigh, the figure reached up and ran both hands through their hair, gathering it up into a long ponytail and securing it with a ribbon. Even in a high ponytail, the strands still reached down to their waist.

"Good morning to you too, Kuroumaru." Touta said.

There was no response, but then, he never expected one anyway.

"You're looking extra feminine today, are you ever gonna cut that hair of yours?" He asked, with a lazy wave of his hand.

Kuroumaru looked over to him, raising a hand in silent greeting. Again, no response.

Smiling crookedly in response, Touta returned his gaze to the sky above. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Kuroumaru was still staring at him.

"Should we get going back to the house?" Touta asked, glancing over at Kuroumaru as he spoke.

There was a second of silence between them, then Kuroumaru nodded, getting up from the ground.

Touta sighed, then cast his gaze back to the sky.

"Might as well, it's almost breakfast time anyway." He mumbled. Sitting up, he swiftly pushed himself to his feet, standing easily before noticing Kuroumaru's offered hand.

"Oh...thanks."

There was no reply as the hand fell back to the owner's side.

Silently, they fell into step beside each other, walking the familiar path toward home.

* * *

 _Chasing Snowstorms_

* * *

It wasn't long before they were walking up the stone pathway leading to the front door of their house. It wasn't extraordinarily large or ornate, rather, it was the exact opposite. It was nearly identical to the other houses in the row on this street, a cookie-cutter facade that could be knocked out one after the other by competent housing constructors. It wasn't a bad place by any means, but it wasn't exceptional. Just the way Touta liked it.

They didn't own it. They rented monthly, their jobs sometimes barely enough to keep them with a roof over their heads and scraps to eat if there wasn't enough work to go around. In the past, there had been a lot of months like that. The global economy wasn't faring well right now, and although it was slowly, ever so slowly on the incline, it had a long way to go before they could ever sleep easily at night.

This month wasn't bad. There had been steady work, and in a small safe in the back of his closet, Touta already had his half of the rent saved up and then some, neat stacks of cash side by side.

He never inquired as to Kuroumaru's financial situation. He assumed that it was very similar to his; there was no reason it shouldn't. A few months ago Kuroumaru had lost his job as a cook at a restaurant downtown, and after a thorough begging session to his boss, Touta had gotten Kuroumaru a job working with him as a recovery specialist.

It had been hit or miss in the beginning, but Kuroumaru seemed to have a knack for this line of work, and was quickly excelling.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he realized he was already inside, standing in the kitchen. In front of him, two bar stools stood in front of a chest high island counter. Pulling out a seat, he hopped onto it and folded his arms onto the counter in front of him. Idly, his gaze landed on Kuroumaru.

Kuroumaru brushed a lock of hair behind his ear, before moving over to the sink. Turning on the hot water, he quickly pumped some soap into his hands, before furiously scrubbing his hands together. When he was satisfied that they were clean, he rinsed them off under the water. Drying his hands, he looked around the kitchen.

"Making breakfast again, eh?" Touta hummed, yawning softly. He wasn't graced with a response, much as he knew he wouldn't, so he laid his head down on his arms as the familiar sound of refrigerator doors and cupboards opening and closing and pots and pans clanking reached his ears.

* * *

 _Chasing Snowstorms_

* * *

It was some time after breakfast. Kuroumaru smiled softly as he remembered the sleepy eyed look Touta had given him when he had gently shaken the raven-haired boy awake, placing a warm plate piled high with eggs, bacon, and hot buttered toast in front of him. The way his eyes widened and he could see the child-like excitement on his face as Touta thanked him, before diving in and devouring the food.

Gathering up a pile of clothes and towels in his hands, Kuroumaru walked slowly toward the bathroom, intent on taking a shower. They had a job tonight, and he was glad for it. He had his share of rent together, but finances were scarce after that, and this job paid cash.

Pushing open the door, he entered. Closing it behind him, he made sure to lock it securely. Tossing his clothes onto the counter beside the sink, he stepped in front of the mirror. Reaching out he flicked on the switches for the lights and the fan. Looking up, he saw the fan slowly spin to life, assuring him that it was on. Returning his gaze to the mirror, he stared sombrely at his reflection.

Only five foot four, with hair that hung down past his hips, he had to admit that he cut a pretty feminine figure. Feeling a heat rise in his cheeks at the thought, he began to slowly disrobe.

Reaching down to his waist, he grabbed the hem of his black t-shirt, pulling it up and over his head. Dropping it to the floor, he reached for the waistband of his pants. Slowly pulling them down, he carefully pulled them off, along with his socks, before tossing them aside.

Straightening up, his eyes found his reflection once more. Gaze falling from his face, he eyed the tight, constricting bandages that wound their way securely around his chest.

Slowly, carefully, his delicate fingers located the spot where the bandage ended, looping under and over each other until it was secured tightly against loosening. Unfastening the end, he began slowly unravelling the bandages, feeling a weight come off his chest with each loop of bandage.

When the tail end of the bandage finally slipped from his body, he carefully wound it around his hand in neat loops, before setting it down on the counter. Slowly bringing his hands up, he gently cupped his 32 B breasts, slowly massaging them as he once again got used to the feeling of being unwrapped.

A smirk graced his face as he reached up to undo the ribbon holding his hair in it's high ponytail. Long silky strands cascading down his back and over his shoulders, he inhaled deeply before sighing in relief.

He was in fact a she, and had been her entire life. She had been an extremely late bloomer, and had masqueraded as a boy for the simple convenience of it. She had been saved a lot of teasing and being picked on, and after a rough, rocky introduction, had become good friends with Touta. She hadn't introduced herself to him as a girl, and when he assumed he was a boy just like him, she hadn't bothered to correct him. At the time, it was easier to be a boy, and she had just went with it.

It was difficult making friends, especially when she was young. People didn't understand her, and didn't want to take the time to learn how. She had resigned herself to being friendless before Touta Konoe had found her. Touta had been a quiet kid. Still is, she thought. But it was that mutual silence that had attracted them to each other, and when he realized how different she was, he didn't shy away. If anything, it made him like her even more. Since that day, twelve years ago, they had been good friends, although as far as Touta was concerned, they had been good male friends.

She was understandably hesitant when Touta came to her and suggested that they find a place of their own to move into. Of course, Touta couldn't begin to fathom why two boys would have trouble getting a place of their own. Kuroumaru, however, knew that it wasn't two boys getting a place together, it was one boy and one decidedly secretive girl.

With some cajoling and convincing, she finally agreed. After putting in some thought, she came to the conclusion that as long as she was careful, Touta would be none the wiser. Touta was always good at respecting privacy and boundaries anyway, she knew. It was one of the things she liked about him.

It was far too late to tell him now, she thought. She didn't know exactly when, but at some point, she realized that she had gotten too comfortable being Touta's male buddy, and had never bothered to correct him. She had never directly enforced the idea; she never introduced herself as male, never responded to signs of "Hey man!", or the like. Yet, she was certain that Touta was completely clueless as to who she really was.

Yeah, it was probably too late to do anything about that without seriously creeping him out.

Snapping out of her reverie, she shook her head as she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties. Pulling them off with one smooth gesture, she straightened up and turned around. Reaching into the shower, she cranked the knob all the way to the 'hot' setting, and swiftly withdrew her arm as water began shooting out from the shower head.

Tapping her foot impatiently against the cold tile floor, she waited for the temperature to warm.

A/N: Thank you for reading the first chapter of "Chasing Snowstorms", the UQ Holder! counterpart to "Snowstorms in August". These fics will walk hand in hand with each other to tell a story that I am quite excited about. Although it seems like they don't have much in common right now, it is merely the beginning.

So besides Kuroumaru masquerading as a man in front of Touta, there's something else that's off about her. I hinted at it in this chapter, and it will probably be explicitly stated outright in the next, but for now I'd like to hear your guesses as to what other secret she's hiding, except that this is one Touta knows about. Feel free to leave me a review and let me know what you thought of this rather vanilla introduction chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: As stated in the last chapter, Kuroumaru is actually a girl, but Touta thinks of her as just another dude. For simplicity, I am going to refer to Kuroumaru as a she, even in interactions with Touta, because it's too distracting to jump back and forth between genders. In all interactions with Touta, Touta will refer to Kuroumaru as the gender he thinks she is, but everywhere else she will be written as a she. Ugh, now even I'm confused...Anyway, enjoy! Hopefully this nonsense won't last much longer!

 _Chasing Snowstorms_

 _Chapter 2: Her_

 _UQ Holder!_

Touta sighed as he adjusted the seatbelt across his lap. Pressing the brake pedal with his foot, the electric car hummed to life once more, having shut itself off a few minutes ago to save power after fifteen minutes of inactivity.

The digital dash lit up, a curved 'T' flashing across the long 20" touch screen display. After a second of loading, the 'T' logo disappeared, replaced by the options menu. Touta pressed the 'hide' button, and the options disappeared, displaying instead battery life and KW/h readings.

"Come on, Kuroumaru, damn." He mumbled to himself. He glanced at the clock, biting his lip as he mentally calculated how much time he had before he would be late.

Finally, the passenger door opened. Blue L.E.D. courtesy lighting flooded the cabin from underneath the door as Kuroumaru sunk into the luxurious leather passenger seat.

"Took you long enough, you get lost?" He asked. He knew, of course, that he might as well be talking to himself. He didn't expect a response.

There was only silence as she buckled herself in, then she fiddled with the belt across her shoulder for a moment before turning to him. Raising her hand, she flashed him a quick hand gesture, an apologetic look on her face.

He shrugged, looking away, before doing a swift double-take. Glancing back at her as she turned her gaze out the window, he took a moment to analyse her.

She was wearing black tight fitting jeans today. Not unusual for her, but the amount of cuts and rips in the thighs were. He could glimpse a red shirt underneath a black leather jacket, of which the collar was turned up. Her long black hair was swept up to the side, in a ponytail that still managed to fall down to her waist. She was looking more and more feminine every day, he thought absent-mindedly.

Turning his gaze back to the driveway, he took his foot off the brake, and the car silently rolled forward under clean, electric power.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone. As he looked down at it, the video camera on the front automatically scanned his retina, unlocking and displaying the home screen.

A quick tap brought him to his text messages, and he accessed the one from his boss, Yukihime. With his phone wirelessly linked to his car, the address she had sent him this morning was automatically sent to the car's GPS. The touchscreen in the center console brought up a map, and directed him where to go.

Reaching out, he gently tapped Kuroumari's leg. She turned to look at him questioningly, and he glanced over at her.

"Are you ready to get this one today? It'll be your first car recovery."

She nodded wordlessly, not showing any nervousness in the least. He nodded in return, pleased. Kuroumaru seemed to be catching on pretty quickly, he thought. This seemed to be the line of work she was cut out for.

Reaching out toward the center console, Touta pressed a button for auto-pilot, then pressed a lever on the steering wheel before pushing it up and away from him. Immediately, sensors on the outside of the car took over, guiding the car down the road as it searched for obstacles or pedestrians in it's path.

Reclining slightly in his seat, Touta accessed his e-mail to pull up the file for today's job.

The target was a luxurious top of the line electric car, optioned out beyond belief, even moreso than the company car they were driving, courtesy of Yukihime and the company she ran. The owner was four months behind on payments, and the bank wanted their car back. Reading through the spec sheet, Touta was starting to feel a little disappointed that Kuroumaru was going to be driving the recovery vehicle.

Oh well, he thought, as the car automatically slowed for a corner, turn signal turning on. There would be other opportunities, other recoveries.

The owner was a male, he noted, scrolling through the e-mail. He was also the owner of an advertising company Touta saw, as he searched the owner's name on the web, trying to gather as much information as he could.

Apparently there wasn't much going on in the advertising world with this economy, if he couldn't make his lease payments.

The car automatically braked to a slower speed as they entered a residential zone, and the navigation screen flashed to warn them that they were almost at their desitination.

Touta took over manual control of the car, cancelling the nav as he pulled over to the curb, a few houses down from the target address. The car was as silent as he crawled to a stop, peering out the windshield at the house down the street.

"The car doesn't seem to be in the driveway." He said softly to himself. "I wonder if investigating on foot would be better. He must know the bank wants the car back. I wonder if it's hidden in the garage?"

He glanced over to Kuroumaru, who saw the movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning to look at him, she raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Swiftly, Touta raised his hands and signed a few select gestures. Kuroumaru nodded in response, before reaching for the door handle. Opening the door on silent hinges, she stepped lithely out of the car.

Touta followed suit, and as he stepped away from the car, the car sensed his departure and locked the doors, shutting itself off.

They sauntered slowly down the sidewalk, side by side as they took in the lay of the land and the details of the house and street.

Nudging Kuroumaru, he pointed at the two car garage that sat detached from the main house as they drew closer.

"Go check the garage for the car, I'm going to check the house." He said. She nodded her understanding, and as they drew closer to the property, their paths slowly diverged until they were no longer walking side by side. Kuroumaru crept up to the garage to peer through the windows, while Touta made for the front door.

Walking up the steps to the front door, he pulled open the screen door before knocking loudly on the wooden door. While he waited for a potential response, he turned around to watch Kuroumaru approach the garage. He smirked as Kuroumaru pushed herself up on her tiptoes to peer into the garage through one of the small square windows, before dropping down a second later and turning to him, shaking her head.

"Fuck." He mumbled to himself. He was hoping this would be a smooth, hitch-free recovery today. Turning back around, he pounded once more on the door, not really expecting an answer. Reaching up to run his fingers through his hair in frustration, he felt Kuroumaru step up beside him silently.

He waited another moment, before cursing silently to himself and turning around. Letting go of the screen door, it closed quietly behind him as he stepped off onto the walkway. Sauntering down the walk with Kuroumaru in tow, he pulled out his phone as he wondered what to do. Maybe a stakeout was best? Although they could be gone for days, he knew. Maybe he should abandon this job for now and take on another, try again another day?

When he reached the sidewalk he turned, intent on going back to his car, but a tug on his sleeve made him pause.

"Yeah?" He asked, turning around. Kuroumaru was behind him, pointing down the street in the opposite direction of their car. Focusing his gaze down the road, his eyes widened as he saw a car matching the description of the target approaching in the distance.

"Quick, back to the car!" He said, taking off at a jog toward their car parked a few yards down.

He could hear Kuroumaru's feet slapping the pavement behind him, and he didn't slow as he approached the car, grabbing the handle and yanking it open as soon as he felt the locks disengage.

He dropped into the seat and closed the door, a second later feeling Kuroumaru do the same.

Pressing down lightly on the brake, the car came alive.

"Go full limo tint." He commanded, and a second later all of the windows, including the windshield, faded to a dark black.

They watched as the car matching the target's description crept toward them, and for a disappointing second Touta was sure that it was going to drive right by.

He was glad to see that he was wrong though, as the car suddenly slowed and turned into the driveway they had just left.

As soon as they pulled in, Touta had the car in gear. Launching forward, passed the first three driveways before pulling even with the one their target was parked in. Pulling in tight to the end of the driveway to make sure there was no room for escape, he cast a swift glance to Kuroumaru.

"Once I confirm that this is our car, get in and lock the doors. As soon as I move, we pull out of here, with you leading. Understood?"

She nodded wordlessly, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Aaaaand, go!"

Touta pushed open the car door, then carefully stepped out, straightening his shirt as he rolled up his sleeves.

In front of him, what looked like the target car. As Kuroumaru stepped up beside him, both of the doors opened. A well-dressed woman got out of the passenger side, and a man in a nicely-tailored suit got out of the driver's seat. As he turned to close his door, he spotted the two standing near the back of the car.

"Can I help you two?" He asked in greeting, smoothing his hands over the front of his suit jacket.

Touta nodded, stepping forward.

"I'm Touta Konoe, from RSS, we would like to have a moment of your time to talk to you."

"RSS? What's that?" In contrast to his question, he appeared completely disinterested as he slipped by them to open the trunk.

"Recovery Solutions and Services." Touta answered cooly, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"You're four months behind on your car payment."

The man straightened up from where he had been bent over the trunk.

"I think you have the wrong guy." He replied, hauling two small suitcases out of the trunk and setting them on the ground.

Touta pulled his phone from his pocket and passed his thumb over the screen, unlocking it.

"A Mr. Micallef, is it?" Touta asked, stepping toward the driver's door.

The man took a step toward Touta in an attempt to keep him from entering the car, but Kuroumaru swiftly stepped in front of him, crossing her arms over her chest and refusing to move.

Touta quickly pulled the door open and scanned the VIN plate with his phone.

"Car's a match." He mumbled to himself.

Reaching out, he placed his hand on Kuroumaru's shoulder. Kuroumaru turned to look at him, and Touta nodded in affirmation.

"Mr. Micallef, we apologize but we are going to have to repossess your car today." He said. "If you believe there's been an error, you can contact RSS at the number listed on their website."

The man sneered as he bent to pick up his suitcases. "You're goddamn right there's been an error, and when I'm finished, you two pricks won't have a job. Go ahead, take the car. You'll just be bringing it back in an hour anyway."

Behind him, Kuroumaru slipped into the driver's seat, closing the door.

Touta didn't blink at the threat, as it wasn't one he hadn't heard before. He was just glad that this recovery hadn't turned violent like so many others had.

Struggling to maintain a professional outward appearance, Touta reached into his pocket and withdrew a business card.

"If you feel we have made an error, contact that number. That is our direct supervisor, and she will get you sorted out."

The man jostled the suitcases into one hand, then angrily snatched the card from Touta. Saying nothing, he turned and stomped toward the front door of the house, where the woman was silently watching the whole thing.

Suppressing the ever-present feeling of sympathy, Touta raised his hand and made a quick circle-like gesture toward the car. In response, it immediately began backing down the driveway.

Turning on his heel, Touta made his way toward his own car. Opening the door, he plopped down into the driver's seat, and took off after Kuroumaru.

They hadn't been driving long when Touta's phone vibrated in his pocket. Touta pressed the 'auto-pilot' button on the touch screen of the car, then pressed 'follow'. The car slipped into a self-driving mode, locking onto the car in front of him and mirroring it's every move.

Reaching down along the side of the seat, he located the 'recline' button and pressed it. The seat withdrew from the steering wheel, then slowly reclined into a near horizontal position. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he was careful not to let it slip from his fingers as he held it above his head. Sliding his thumb across the screen, it unlocked to reveal a text message from Kuroumaru.

 _'This car is low on power. Follow me to the nearest Supercharger.'_

Touta didn't bother with a response. Putting his faith in the car's ability to drive itself, he opened up the internet browser on his phone, humming softly to himself.

* * *

 _Chasing Snowstorms_

* * *

They had about half an hour to wait, to get enough juice to make it back to RSS headquarters. Right now Kuroumaru was leaning against the car, arms folded across her chest as she impatiently tapped her foot on the ground. Touta was much more relaxed. Parked beside her, he had the door open and was sitting half in and half out of the car, playing on his phone. Glancing up at Kuroumaru, he grinned.

"Why do you look so impatient?" He asked. "We get paid either way you know, don't stress out about it."

She stared at him for a moment, before shrugging wordlessly. Unfolding her arms, she reached up to run her fingers through her long dark hair, adjusting her side-pony carefully. Undoing her jacket a bit as the mid-morning temperature slowly climbed, she glanced back at Touta and tilted her head to the side a bit.

Touta had his nose buried back in his phone, oblivious to her gaze. She made a soft noise in her throat, and he raised his head to look at her questioningly.

She raised her hands and made a few swift gestures.

"What am I doing?" He asked. He turned his phone toward her, as she squinted at the screen from a few feet away.

"Scoping chicks out on this dating website." He replied, grinning cheekily. "I dunno why you don't join up dude, there's some good looking ones on here."

Kuroumaru shrugged, shaking her head at Touta's obliviousness.

Touta hummed softly at Kuroumaru's silent response. "Eh, suit yourself, dude."

Kuroumaru was about to reply, when she saw someone enter her peripheral vision. Turning to her left, she was surprised when she came face to face with a worried looking brown-haired girl.

"S-Setsuna?"

Touta looked up at hearing the unfamiliar name and voice, putting his phone down on the seat beside him.

"I'm sorry," Touta said, pushing himself off the seat and standing. "Who are you looking for?"

The brown-haired girl raised a hand and pointed at Kuroumaru, who was studying her intently.

"She looks a lot like someone I used to know." She said. "She looks like Setsuna."

Kuroumaru looked at Touta for clarification, a look of confusion on her face. Touta glanced at Kuroumaru, then back at the stranger standing in front of him.

"She? No, Kuroumaru's a he. And he can't understand you unless you look at him when you talk. So he can read your lips. He's deaf."

The girl's eyes widened, and she looked back at Kuroumaru.

"That doesn't make any sense." She said softly. "You look so much like her. Are...are you sure?"

Touta couldn't keep himself from snickering. "I'm pretty sure he knows who he is."

"That...that's so disappointing. I thought for sure that I had found her."

"And who are you, exactly?" Touta asked, raising an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Me? My name is Konoka. And I'm looking for someone important."


End file.
